Over-the-highway tractors equipped with sleeper accommodations have come into wide usage. Typically such a tractor includes a relatively large cab having driver and passenger seats in a forward portion and sleeping accommodations to the rear.
When an operator wishes to rest within a sleeper cab, it is desirable to be able to move easily about the entire cab interior to move, for example from the driver's seat to the sleeping space behind the seats or from the sleeping space past either seat to exit the vehicle.
In a typical sleeper, the gear shift lever is an obstruction to such free movement throughout the cab. The gear shift lever is located between forward portions of the operator and passenger seats for ready access by the operator. While the lever is so positioned for ease of operation of the vehicle, it's location interferes with movement in the cab when the vehicle is at rest.
Proposals have been made for foldable gear shift levers that are intended to be moved out of the way when the vehicle is at rest. All such prior proposals have, however, had drawbacks. The drawbacks include difficulties in moving lever components relatively between operating and storage positions because the components tend to bind. Prior proposals also suffered from undue complexity of the lever systems, and attendant excessive costs.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a gear shift lever that can be selectively moved between an operating position and a stowed position, cost effective to manufacture, and capable of handling the stresses to which gear shift levers are subjected in use.